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3. lay at door

lay at door

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lay something at someone's door

 and put something at someone's door 

1. Fig. to blame a problem on someone; to hold someone responsible for something. (Alludes to someone laying incriminating evidence at the door of a guilty person, perhaps in the night.) I'm laying responsibility for this mess at your door! Don't put this at my door!

2. Fig. to give or assign a problem to someone for solving. I am going to lay this problem right at your door. You are the one who can settle it. I will put this business at your door and hope you can do something about it.

See also: door, lay

lay something at somebody's door

to blame someone for something lay something on somebody The error in the notice about the date of our next meeting must be laid at my door.

Related vocabulary: lay the blame on somebody/something

See also: door, lay

lay something at somebody's door

to blame someone for something bad that has happened The blame for their deaths was laid firmly at the government's door.

See also: door, lay